The roots of the beautiful Lydia variety, which is loved by the vineyards of Moldova, Ukraine and the south of Russia for their stable yield and beautiful appearance of vines and ripe bunches, for a peculiar wonderful aroma of berries, go deep into history. And wine, and jam, and juice from this grape come out excellent. And Lydia appeared due to the resistance of her ancestor to diseases. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we will talk about everything in order.
Savage that saved European grapes
With the discovery of America, many species of flora growing there came to Europe. Among them was the wild grape Vitis labruska, which was interesting to breeders as a material for breeding new varieties.
Vitis labruska grapes brought from America
At the same time, grapes - powdery mildew (oidium) and phylloxera - unknown to that disease, also got into the Old World. As it turned out, they were not afraid of a wild plant, and cultivars began to die en masse. Breeders found a way out of this situation by grafting European grapes unstable to diseases to the wild root. The result was the emergence of varieties that are not only able to withstand diseases, but also have an interesting taste and aroma of berries. Soon, newcomers became popular not only in Europe, but also reached the Black Sea and Transcaucasia. They began to be called isabella by the name of the variety Isabella, which has the most pronounced new properties of grapes. These include Tiras, Seibel, Rainor and others. This group also includes Lydia.
Now she is called differently - Lydia pink, red or pink Isabella. Although the latter is completely wrong. Isabella is a grape with dark purple berries, in Lydia they are dark pink with a purple tint. Although both grapes are really similar to each other in many ways: the size and shape of berries, their strawberry aroma, and also the main direction of use are technical varieties, that is, they mainly go for making juice, wine, at home - jam, although they are good and fresh like table grapes.
Since 1999, in the European Union, and then in the United States, wines made using hybrid grapes have been banned. This is due to the presence of a significant number of pectins in these varieties, which during fermentation are converted to methinols, which can cause irreparable harm to human health. In order not to take risks, it is better to eat fresh berries or in the form of jam.
What is good Lydia
The growth of bushes in Lydia is above average. In the southern regions, where it hibernates without shelter, the vine can be used for vertical gardening. The shoots of this grape ripen well. During the growing season, Lydia's bushes are very thick, therefore their chasing and pinching are necessary. This variety begins to bear fruit at the age of three..
In the southern regions where Lydia hibernates without shelter, it can be used for landscaping the walls of houses, arbors, arches
Lydia - medium ripening variety. Bunches of grapes are medium in size, loose, branched, in shape resemble a cone or cylinder. The berries are round, in ripe form their color is dark red, sweet, juicy. The strong skin is covered with a lilac waxy coating, and the mucous flesh has an aroma reminiscent of strawberries. When ripening, the berries are weaker on the stalks; therefore, timely harvest will help to maintain the crop. This is especially important in places with strong winds.
Lydia's resistance to low temperatures is much better than European varieties. It is so resistant to diseases with powdery mildew and mildew that you can not treat it with drugs for fungal diseases, but you must always spray it with phylloxera. Lydia is better than other varieties to cope with increased soil moisture or its salinity.
Lydia is a medium-ripening grape, fruitful, with good quality berries and resistant to frost
What figures say about Lydia - table
| Ripening period from the beginning of vegetation | 150-160 days |
| The sum of active temperatures from the beginning of the growing season to technological maturity | 3090 ºС |
| The average weight of a cluster of Friendship | 100-110 g, large - 200-300 g |
| Average berry size | Ø15 mm |
| The average weight of the berry | 3-4 grams |
| Calories 100 g berries | 70-75 kcal. |
| Sugar content | 180-190 g / dm3 |
| The amount of acid in 1 liter of juice | 5.5-9.3 grams |
| Hectare yield | up to 10-12 tons |
| Frost resistance | up to -26 ºС |
We grow fragrant Lydia
It is better to plant Lydia's seedling in April or early May, so that the bush grows stronger and it is easier for him to survive the winter. You can plant grapes in the fall in October, the root system in winter will not develop, but will adapt to the growing conditions.
Loamy, chernozemic or sandy loam soil, acidity pH 6-7, is best suited for planting Lydia. Its temperature should not be lower than ten degrees, and air - fifteen. Ground water at the place of grape planting should be at a depth of not less than one and a half meters.
The planting site of the Lydia seedling should be constantly lit by the sun, protected from drafts and winds.
The size of the pit and its filling for planting Lydia are the same as for other grape varieties: 70-75 cm depth and width, 15-20 cm of drainage, soil mixed with fertilizers. If the landing site has not been prepared since the fall, then in the spring the soil in the pit is allowed to settle, and the seedling is placed in it after a week.
In the future, for the normal growth and development of Lydia grapes regularly carry out a number of agricultural activities. Weeding and loosening of soil in a radius of 0.5-0.6 m from the stem is required for grapes every week.
The formation of a bush for Lydia grapes is preferable to produce in a fan shape.
Vine formation in the first years after planting - table
| Grape age | Pruning time | Trim level |
| First year | After falling leaves | Leave 2-3 shoots |
| Second year | Before the start of the growing season | On the vine leave 3 peepholes in its lower part |
| Third year | After falling leaves | On the vines leave 3-4 eyes to form the sleeves |
Further, the annual autumn formation, similar to the third year, creates fruitful links and additional sleeves. In addition to forming autumn pruning, a similar procedure is also carried out in the spring, removing frozen shoots at an air temperature of at least 5 ºС, and in the summer, cutting off stepsons.
In addition to shaping autumn pruning, a sanitary procedure is also carried out in spring, removing frozen shoots, and in summer, removing stepsons
Lydia is watered, pouring into the grooves about 20 cm deep, dug by the diameter of the trunk circle, 12-15 liters of water per bush:
- after spring pruning;
- after tying the vine to the trellis;
- with shoot length 25 cm;
- before flowering;
- after flowering;
- with ripening berries;
- after harvesting.
After each watering, the soil near the grape stands is loosened.
Lydia very gratefully reacts to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Her berries ripen sweeter. Make preparations in dry form when digging the soil or in the form of solutions during irrigation. It is important to give top dressing during those periods of the plant’s vegetation when it is most in need.
Grapes top dressing - table
| Vegetation period | Fertilizers |
| Before opening the kidneys | For 10 liters of water:
|
| Crescent before flowering | For 10 liters of water:
|
| The ripening period of grapes | For 10 liters of water:
|
| After harvest | On 1 m2 potassium chloride 15 g. |
If it is necessary to create the best conditions for grapes to grow and develop, it can be transplanted in early spring, moving (that is, moving along with a lump of land on the roots) into a new hole. It should be of such a size that the grape roots fully fit in it.
Grade Reviews
Ripens in the conditions of Kharkov - mid or end of September. But I begin to tweak the first ripened berries in the 20th of August. It is a very unpretentious variety and has never been processed by anything, although the first bush has been growing for forty years. Last year, he was struck by mildew, but not critical, because the vine ripened and gave a good harvest. And the wine from it is not bad. Quite a worthy variety for lazy people.
dzug//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=14546
the night before last frost killed a leaf on the grapes, but the berries on the Lydia frost survived. The rain interferes with the picking of berries. As the berries dry, I collect them and put them in the cellar. The cellar is well preserved until the new year. It acquires optimal taste in late October and early November and lasts until new Year. Moldova, unfortunately, does not have time to ripen because there is no replacement for lidia yet.
ioan//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=14546
I prefer to grow Lydia French from isabel varieties (our lovers supposedly brought it from the Dnipropetrovsk region). It began to spread under the names Lydia French and Crimean Rose. How does it differ from ordinary Lydia. Firstly, the berry is larger (5-6 g), the brushes are more full with shoulders. The color is dark to burgundy. And the most important thing is eating without a bag, the skin is not felt. The aroma is some kind of pink. It is in great demand among the so-called lazy summer residents. Regards, Ivan.
Ivan Kravtsov//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=82&page=37
Stable yield, winter hardiness and excellent resistance to many diseases of grapes, the Lydia variety is suitable for cultivation in southern Russia. Subject to agricultural technology, he will delight the winegrower with delicious, fragrant and healthy berries for a long time, will become an adornment of the entire site and an excellent material for jam and any other processing.
